Martinsburg gazette. (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1886-1887, 1887-01-28
INTERSTATE COMMERCE..
THE BILL REGULATING RAILROAD
TRAFFIC PASSES CONGRESS.
How Government Supervision viii be
Exercised Over the Roads.

AFTER passing the senate Dy nr80 u1n-
Iority, the Interstate Commerce bill has
gone through the House by the decisive vote
Of 80 yeas to Al nays. The followingeis
synopsis of the bill. as it passed Congress.
The provisions Of the bill are applied to
any common carrier of passengers and
freight, whether the transportation Is en-
Hrely by rail or partly By rail and partly by
water, when common control, manage,
ment or arrangement IS exercised or extended
through more than one State or Territory.
or covers such relations between the
United States and any foreign coun-
try. Ferries and bridges used or
In the provisions Of the bill All charges
tor the transportation of freight and passen-
gers shall be reasonable and Just, and any
thing opposed to this is prohibited and de.
elared unlawful. It is provided that the
provisions Of the act shall not apply to trans
and not affecting the interchange Of traffic
between one State and another, or between
one State and q foreign country.
The second section forbids any common
carrier to charge, demand or receive, di-
rectly or indirectly, prom any person or per-
sons, greater or less compensation for any
services connected with freight or passenger
transportation than from others for like and
eontemporaneous services In the transporta-
lion of like kind of traffic, under substan-
tally Esimilar circumstances and con-
aitions It is made unlawful by
any undue or unreasonable prefer
ence or advantage to any particular person,
company, firm, corporation or locality, or to
any particular description of traffic Accord
ing to their respective powers. all corpora
lions subject to the provisions of the act are
required to afford all reasonable, proper and
equal facilities for the Interchange of traffic
between their respective lines and discrimina-
ton in rates and charges against connecting
lines Il forbidden.
basis for tho controversy that is most inter-
esting to railroad men, are given in full as
follows
SEC. 4 Thatit shall be unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the provisions of
this act to charge or receive any greater COM
pensation IN the aggregate for the transpor--
tation OF passengers or Of like kind OF
property, under substantially similar cir
cumstances and conditions, for q shorter
than for longer distance over the
same line, in the same direction, the
shorter being included within the longer
distance: but this shall not be construed as
authorizing any common carrier witlin the
u terms OF this act to charge and receive as
great compensation for shorter as for q
longer distance. Provided, however, That
upon application to the commission APP
pointed under the provisions of this act such
investigation by the commission, be au-
thorized to charge less for longer than for
shorter distances for the transportation of
passengers or property; and the commission
may from tine to time prescribe the extent
to which such designated common carrier
may be relieved from the operation of this
section of this act.
Sec. 3. That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier sub ject to the provisions Of
this to enter into any contract, agree
ment or combination with any other com
mon Carrier or carriers for the pooling of
1reights of different and competing rail-
roads, or to divide between them the aggre-
gate or net proceeds of the earnings Of such
railroads, or any POI tion thereof; and in any
case OF an agreement for the pooling Of
frelghts, as aforesaid, each day Of its contin-
uante shall be deemed a separate offence.
The sixth section eluires that after ninety
days from the passage of the act the rail.
roads shall print and publish, for the inspec-
ton OF everybody, schedules of rates and
charges, and the commissioners created by
thu bill have authority, whenever they
deem 1t necessary and proper, to require
publls alton OF the rates made to
other places beyond the lines oil
the several railroads. A public notice must
be made ten days Eefore any advance il
rates, fares and charges but no such no
tice is required for reduction, though the
detailed publication of such change must
be coincident with any reduction.
The seventh section prohibits any breakage
OF bulk shipments OK any other device ia
evade the application of the law to traffic
covered BY the preceding provisions. A fine
CT S5,000 and costs are imposed upon the
comTany, or any Of its agents, which is
proved to have violated this law, and the
penalty apples to every offense. The sec
tions OF the bill from the eleventh
section on provide for the legal protection
of the commissioners and the orderly exe.ll.
ton OF the law Five commissioners are
created. the first five to be appointed by thu
President, subject to the confirmation by thf
Senate To serve tive three foiIr I've and =; :